Graham "Cracker" C.'s Profile

2.5 Stars

I had walked by this place a few times and resolved to check it out.  Their marketing is really slick, along with their signage.  Sadly, that's where the excitement stopped.  This place has been open 2 weeks and is it terrible?  No.  The cheesesteak was passable and the fries were actually pretty good.  It was, as many have said, underwhelming.  

They really don't have a system yet, as the owner seemed clearly befuddled when he called out Ben Franklin (their name for a regular cheesesteak) and three people stepped up to collect.  He actually muttered "I need to start using the numbers.  I'm getting confused."

I would love it if there was a place two blocks from my house with awesome cheesesteaks.  I must keep wishing.

I have a few rules in life:
- Never date girls whose names end in i
- Never buy generic condoms or OJ from concentrate
- No matter where you are, no matter your hunger level, if you pass BBQ being sold out of a school bus, you must immediately stop and stuff your face.  

The bus is the selling point for me.  I went there last Saturday and ordered the half rack of pork ribs with sauce.  They were out of rib tips.  The ribs were falling off the bone.  and there wasn't much bone, more like a stump that a hunk of meat grew off of.  My friend got the pulled pork which was different, and NC style with a good vinegar sauce.  

We ate them on her trunk, which is really the only way to roll in a parking lot with BBQ sauce all over your goatee.  And you get 2 slices of white bread with your order which makes me smile.  

A BBQ mecca with amazing ribs.  It's worth the trip out to RI Ave.  I'll be back.  But I'll bring a Shamwow for my face.

I'm not going to get into a debate about pizza in this review.  Brick oven, Chicago style or NY corner pizzaria style. My personal preference as a born New Yorker is the last one, but that's not really the point.  

I'm down in the Hampton Roads area a lot now and so I'm trying to try decent places instead of Fuddrucker's.  I found this place through Yelp and thought it was worth a drive over from Chessy.  This place has a sci-fi theme and I have no idea why?  But the memorabilia on the walls was cool and the staff were different which I appreciate in a homogeneous place like this area can be,  

We had the garbage pie (everything) and it was good.  I also ordered the breadsticks based on recommendations from here and I was not disappointed.  Don't let them get cold though.  The pizza was good and they have a tremendous amount of beers on tap, which always endears me to an establishment.  

My only regret is missing karaoke at 9 PM.  That's on Wednesdays, in case people are playing the home game.

Allow me to jump on the No Frill bandwagon.  I was staying in Chesapeake for the week and I seemingly came to Norfolk every night for dinner. This was a total Yelp find, so thank you Yelpers.  

I had the Kentucky Hot Brown which was some sort of deli meat on texas toast with cheese and tomato and bacon.  It was delicious and no amount of time on the eliptical will remove the fat I gained from that one dish.  I would totally come back here again, but this place does strike me as a better lunch spot.  

Now if only Yelpers were as active on the Peninsula side.

Yelp star inflation be damned.  

Where the hell has this place been?  I've been marooned in a culinary wasteland for work often in Gloucester and finally, as I was about to go to WaWa and get a sandwich and bring it back to the hotel I ask the front desk clerk.  She's like "Have you been to Olivia's?" I was like , "No, but I've been to Ruby Tuesday 6 times and simply can't do it again." So by my lonesome I went to this place.  

Maybe it was the atmosphere.  Or the fact that in my third week down here living out of a suitcase I was looking for a cozy place where the waitress calls me "Hon", which she did at least 10 times.  Or it could have been the amazing dinner. But all I know is I walked in and had a salad, warm buttered bread, and a dinner of grilled chicken and ham with cheese over angelhair pasta and alfredo sauce.  Following that I had their coffee and a piece of homemade coconut cream cake, which wasn't like the pie you see in the diners but more cake-like and warm with fresh whipped cream.  

I've been punching myself in the nads for going to Ruby Tuesday all those times.  Now, I know no one reading this will probably eat here.  When were you last in Gloucester, VA?  But maybe there might be someone who looks up eats in Gloucester, VA and stumbles across this review.  Go there and say hi to Gary, the owner.  He sat with me for like 10 minutes and told me his story.  

If this restaurant were a woman, I would get seriously involved with it with every intention of a long-term committed relationship, but eventually my neuroses would get the better of me and I would put up an emotional wall with Olivia's and begin to grow distant.  But not for at least a year, and this my friend is as close as Graham gets to marrying anything.

I originally intended to eat lunch at a place called Anna's but it turns out that place was open only until 11AM on Tuesdays.  So we were asking the GPS where to eat and then passed this place with a full parking lot at 11:45, which is a far better sign than a GPS anyday.  
I had the chicken salad sandwich special with chips and a sweet tea. The waitress was nice and very patient with us.

So overall, when you're driving through Saluda, this is a fine place to grab a bite to eat.  They serve beer and wine now too, though I didn't get to try.  My favorite restaurant in Saluda so far.

Went here tonight for sushi.  It was fine.  I'll admit that I played the noob this evening and got the "special rolls" which are totally for the gaijin I know.  I wasn't blown away but I'll come back for the nigiri to really sample the fish.  The sushi chef also upsold me to his Japanese crabcakes, which were fine.  I felt a bit like a rube.  I wondered if I had gotten just spicy tuna nigiri or some yellowtail if we would have tried that.  

+1 star for the waitress understanding instantly when I told her my large Sapporo needed to go on a second bill.  She was like "This is not uncommon," which made me laugh.  Damn my company not paying for alcohol.

There are many 5 star reviews here, but I'm wondering if this speaks more to the lack of good sushi in Hampton Roads.

Another Yelp suggestion that was worth listening to.  I went here today for lunch and there was no line, but things seem to move pretty quick anyway.  I ordered the Smoked Turkey Bacon sandwich, which was delicious.  Fresh meat, awesome bread that was toasted, and it came with a pretty decent pickle.  

The things removing one star from this place were the cost and the fact that the sandwich wasn't that big, but I was full regardless.  So thank you Yelpers, I'll return here.  Preferably on a day when it isn't pouring.

This review might suffer from some star deflation, given recent criticisms of Yelp star-loving reviewers.  In full disclosure, it's probably 3.5 stars.  

When I hear the name Stoupsy, I think of a small Greek boy who looks frail and pale.  He possibly had rickets or something and his given name is much cooler and longer but everyone calls him Stoupsy.  He tells them all when he leaves school, "I'll show you.  One day, I'll go to America and own a restaurant in a subterranean food court in Washington D.C.!"  And that dream came true, while the Greek jocks who mocked him are busy screwing farm animals.

Went to this place for lunch,  Got a gyro for around $6.55 which is pricey for a gyro, but not pricey for this food court.  Having lived in Astoria, Queens I'm a little spoiled with my gyros. This sandwich was a little on the light side, but the meat was good and the pita was warm and soft, with the right amount of tzatziki sauce. I wasn't wild about the feta cheese on the gyro, but it was okay.  

It was fine, if I'm craving a gyro sandwich at lunch.  I'd like to imagine there is a better gyro somewhere.  But maybe I need to return to Queens.

Okay, reading these reviews makes me feel old.  I know most of you know this place from Saturday night at 2 AM when you stagger here hoping to make out with someone and drink 2 more beers that you don't need.  

My lame ass is reviewing this for a dinner I had here tonight, on a Tuesday, at around 7:30.  My friend and I came here and saw they had a burger special (half price on Mondays and Tuesdays). I asked for mine medium rare, because I am normal, and it was a little on the rare side.  Not that I have doubts about the cooks or choices of meat at Tom Tom.  I think the guy who buys the meat for this place also does the Capitol Grill.

$25 with tip for a pitcher of Leinie's Amber and two burgers, not too shabby.  But in the hour or so we were there, we were the only customers.  It was like an Adams Morgan version of The Stand tonight.  Not sure what was up.  It's possible there was a serial killer targeting guys with white hats and brown flip-flops.  Or perhaps some X Games championship was on ESPN 8.  Whatever the reason, it was weird.  

I might come back for dinner, but after reading reviews here, would in no way come back on a weekend late night.  That's when I watch my programs, anyway.